West Ham United

West Ham United U18s 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur U18s

U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 13 September 2025, 11am BST

West Ham United U18s fell to defeat at Little Heath with Tottenham Hotspur taking their chances to claim a 5-0 victory in U18 Premier League South.

Despite matching their opponents in possession and attempts on goal, our young Hammers were on the wrong end of a harsh scoreline and slipped to consecutive league defeats.

Spurs carved out the first opening inside the opening five minutes when Armend Muslika was played in behind the Hammers’ back line, though he dragged his effort wide of Lanre Awesu’s goal.

The early exchanges developed into a physical contest with clear sights of goal at a premium.

Midway through the first half, Miracle Adewole, lively down the left with his pace and trickery, almost found a way through, only for Callum Leacock to produce a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny the Spurs winger.

The visitors did eventually make the breakthrough when they beat the offside trap, creating a three-on-one situation. Muslika was set up inside the area and finished calmly beyond Awesu.

Spurs doubled their lead on 36 minutes with a cleverly-worked free-kick. Taken quickly down the left to Adewole, he cut the ball back for Oliver Boast, who swept home a tidy first-time finish.

Just moments later, Boast added his second. Goalkeeper Blake Irow launched a long kick forward, and with numbers in attack, Spurs worked it well for Oscar Sandiford to slide in Boast, who finished clinically once again.

West Ham almost reduced the deficit before the break when Jephthah Medine’s cross skipped past Lewis Beckford and fell to Andre Dike, who couldn’t quite connect cleanly. Aaron Kamara also went close, driving through the centre before seeing his shot deflected over the bar.

Five minutes into the second half, Kamara was again at the heart of West Ham’s attacking play. Having been pushed into midfield after the introduction of Harry Montague, he surged forward and played in Dike, who was denied at the last by Elijah Upson just as he shaped to shoot one-on-one with Irow.

The young Hammers continued to search for a route back into the contest, applying consistent pressure and creating openings inside the Spurs penalty area.

With five minutes remaining, however, Muslika capitalised on a loose pass from goalkeeper Awesu to extend Tottenham’s advantage.

Lauris Coggin’s side continued to battle until the final whistle, with Chukwuemeka Obi going close late on, but in stoppage time Frankie Day added a fifth for the visitors to round off the scoring.

West Ham United U18s: Awesu, Perkins, Scanlon (Jonyla 76), Kamara, Leacock ©, Unwin (Montague HT), Dike, Morris (Peychev 76), Obi, Beckford, Medine (Kerr 59)

Sub not used: Goodger (GK)

Booked: Perkins, Kamara

Tottenham Hotspur U18s: Irow, Sandiford (Byrne 62), Thomas, Tingey, Upson, Moncur (Salter 77), Myrtaj, Feeney © (Wellspring 47), Boast (Day 62), Muslika, Adewole

Subs not used: Doran (GK)

Booked: Thomas, Feeney, Muslika

Goals: Muslika 22, 86, Boast 36, 39, Day 90+3

Coggin: We must take the next step in maturity

Despite limiting Tottenham to just five shots on target, our U18s endured the same outcome as in their previous league fixture against Leicester City.

A final scoreline which felt a harsh reflection of the balance of play, left our young Hammers once again with nothing to show for their efforts.

“We've got a really open, honest, hard-working group, and that's been clear in all the games we've played this season so far,” lead coach Lauris Coggin reflected. “The important thing for us as a collective is to take a step forward in maturity; recognising the context of games and understanding that ultimately, the quality in both boxes determines the results you get.

“We need to make that step in mentality, realising the impact that moments and context can have in any game, at any level. That’s the challenge ahead of us, but what can’t be questioned is the players’ work ethic and their attitude.”

West Ham United U18s 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur U18s

U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 13 September 2025, 11am BST

West Ham United U18s fell to defeat at Little Heath on Saturday, with Tottenham Hotspur taking their chances to claim victory in the U18 Premier League South.

Spurs carved out the first opening inside the opening five minutes when Armend Muslika was played in behind the Hammers’ back line, though he dragged his effort wide of Lanre Awesu’s goal.

The early exchanges developed into a physical contest with clear sights of goal at a premium.

Midway through the first half, Miracle Adewole, lively down the left with his pace and trickery, almost found a way through, only for Callum Leacock to produce a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny the Spurs winger.

The visitors did eventually make the breakthrough when they beat the offside trap, creating a three-on-one situation. Muslika was set up inside the area and finished calmly beyond Awesu.

Spurs doubled their lead on 36 minutes with a cleverly-worked free-kick. Taken quickly down the left to Adewole, he cut the ball back for Oliver Boast, who swept home a tidy first-time finish.

Just moments later, Boast added a second. Goalkeeper Blake Irow launched a long kick forward, and with numbers in attack, Spurs worked it well for Oscar Sandiford to slide in Boast, who finished clinically once again.

West Ham almost reduced the deficit before the break when Jephthah Medine’s cross skipped past Lewis Beckford and fell to Andre Dike, who couldn’t quite connect cleanly. Aaron Kamara also went close, driving through the centre before seeing his shot deflected over the bar.

Five minutes into the second half, Kamara was again at the heart of West Ham’s attacking play. Having been pushed into midfield after the introduction of Harry Montague, he surged forward and played in Dike, who was denied at the last by Elijah Upson just as he shaped to shoot one-on-one with Irow.

The young Hammers continued to search for a route back into the contest, applying consistent pressure and creating openings inside the Spurs penalty area.

With five minutes remaining, however, Muslika capitalised on a loose pass from goalkeeper Awesu to extend Tottenham’s advantage.

Lauris Coggin’s side continued to battle until the final whistle, with Chukwuemeka Obi going close late on, but in stoppage time Frankie Day added a fifth for the visitors to round off the scoring.

West Ham United U18s: Awesu, Perkins, Scanlon (Jonyla 76), Kamara, Leacock ©, Unwin (Montague HT), Dike, Morris (Peychev 76), Obi, Beckford, Medine (Kerr 59)

Sub not used: Goodger (GK)

Booked: Perkins, Kamara

Tottenham Hotspur U18s: Irow, Sandiford (Byrne 62), Thomas, Tingey, Upson, Moncur (Salter 77), Myrtaj, Feeney © (Wellspring 47), Boast (Day 62), Muslika, Adewole

Subs not used: Doran (GK)

Booked: Thomas, Feeney, Muslika

Goals: Muslika 22, 86; Boast 36, 39; Day 90+3

Formed by Hammers supporters Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall to offer their fellow fans in-depth but accessible analysis of their team and its players, Analytics United use performance analysis and data to examine how Spurs could approach their visit to London Stadium…

Despite winning the UEFA Europa League last season, a 17th-place Premier League finish wasn’t enough to keep Australian manager Ange Postecoglou in post come the summer. Instead, chairman Daniel Levy – who himself departed last week – decided to pivot and recruit Thomas Frank from Brentford. The Dane had done a brilliant job in bringing the Bees from the Championship to the Premier League before quickly stabilising in the top division, exceeding external expectations.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Frank’s tenure with Brentford was his seamless switch of style from a possession-dominant 4-3-3, that saw his side finish with an xG difference (the gap between the cumulative quality of chances made against the cumulative quality of chances conceded) almost double that of 100-point Burnley last season (35.5 compared to 18.7), to a counter-attacking 3-5-2 that got the best out of Bryan Mbeumo’s qualities on the break. This change showed an appreciation for the difference in the challenge of the Premier League, a flexibility and willingness to adapt, and an understanding of how to continue to platform his players in the best way possible through such sweeping adaptations.

In contrast to both the 4-3-3 of 2020/21 and the 3-5-2 of 2021/22, Brentford finished last season playing a 4-2-3-1 that seemingly drew inspiration from the success that Roberto De Zerbi had with Brighton. The Italian’s side had carved out a path for generating counter-attacking conditions whilst dominating the ball – a solution to questions typically asked of teams that prefer to counter-attack following positive league finishes when the opposition sit off and concede possession – finishing the 2022/23 season with the third-highest average possession in the Premier League (60.2%) whilst consistently generating direct attack conditions from which wingers like Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March and Leandro Trossard could profit. Their success was built on a build-up approach that incentivised opposition pressure before connecting quickly through the midfield and moving the ball wide where wingers could receive with open space ahead, like they would in a normal counter-attack.

Frank’s implementation of these ideas at Brentford saw goalkeeper Mark Flekken finish with far and away the most passes attempted in the league (1,498) as the centre-backs split deep and wide to draw the defensive side forward, whilst Mikkel Damsgaard exploited the consequential spaces between the lines to spin and find one of Yoane Wissa, Kevin Schade or Mbeumo in behind. Considering Spurs’ squad – which contains direct wingers like Brennan Johnson and Mohammed Kudus, a star between the lines in Xavi Simons and talented build-up full-backs in Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence – it’s clear to see how this approach could work in north London.

In order for this to happen, Kudus and Simons must hit the ground running as they replace Spurs’ two top contributors of combined goals and assists from last season in new LAFC signing Son Heung-min (16) and injured James Maddison (16). And big deadline-day loan signing Randal Kolo Muani will need to contribute better levels of consistent production than Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have managed thus far in Tottenham white. The big positive there is the Frenchman’s underlying data, which despite his lack of consistent involvement since moving to PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt two seasons ago, has continued to impress. If he can maintain his top 1% finishing from his Juventus stint last season (+0.24 npxG overperformance per 90) alongside his top 7% goalscoring rate (0.62 goals per 90) then Spurs might just be onto a winner.

One player sure to profit from the change of manager is the man who scored the winning goal in the Europa League final: Brennan Johnson. The Welsh winger has already scored twice this season after finishing last season as Spurs’ top Premier League goalscorer (11) with top 5% data for npxG (0.43 per 90) and the joint-third-best average chance quality in the division (0.19 xG/shot), level with Norwegian strikers Erling Haaland and Jørgen Strand Larsen. His pace, box movement and finishing make him perfectly suited to a more direct attacking style. Equally, full-backs Porro, Udogie and Spence should also thrive as Frank enables them to continue to contribute their high levels of progression alongside their positive ball-carrying and creative attributes. One player who will remain vitally important regardless is Cristian Romero. The Argentine centre-back missed 27 games last season and Spurs will need him to be fit this time given the impossibility of replacing a player who ranks inside the top 20% for tackles, interceptions, yards gained via pass and yards gained via carry.

If there are weaknesses to exploit, Bournemouth certainly found those in the final match before the international break. Andoni Iraola’s side pressed intensely against Spurs’ build-up and forced them away from their right side, where Romero’s brilliance in build-up and Kudus’ impressive hold-up and carrying can combine, and onto their left side where Spence and Johnson prefer to attack more directly. Maintaining clear pressure on loan single-pivot João Palhinha made it difficult for the Portuguese to switch the play, leaving Spurs unable to get out successfully, recording just one shot on target in the entire match.

If executing such an approach would’ve been challenging previously due to lack of legs in Graham Potter’s midfield, new signings Soungoutou Magassa and Mateus Fernandes will hope to address that. Fernandes ran himself into the ground in his first appearance against Nottingham Forest, recording seven recoveries, three tackles and one interception, and adding Magassa’s top 5% rates across Europe’s top five leagues for all three should enable more aggressive defensive approaches.

Whatever the case, Potter’s side can hope to exploit space behind Spurs’ full-backs on the break with Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville both available together, at last, on the flanks. Summerville was brilliant in the final exchanges at the City Ground last time out, contributing for all three goals racing into the space behind Ola Aina as the Forest right-back looked to bomb on and support attacks. With Porro certain to do the same for Spurs, the Dutch winger will be hopeful of delivering once again on the promise of ‘showtime’ on his return.

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Analytics United and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of West Ham United.

West Ham United U18s v Tottenham Hotspur U18s

U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 13 September 2025, 11am BST

West Ham United U18s host Tottenham Hotspur in their first of two consecutive London derbies at Little Heath Training Ground this September in Premier League South.

The young Irons welcome Spurs on Saturday morning before Fulham follow them down the A12 the following weekend.

Even at youth-team level, derbies are keenly fought between local rivals, with players often knowing one another from previous battles through the age-groups.

How To Follow…

A report and post-match reaction will be available on the Club’s website and app following the final whistle.

U18 Premier League Explained…

The U18 Premier League is divided into two regionalised divisions featuring all 29 Category One academies, 15 in the southern division and 14 in the northern. There are 18 clubs from the Premier League, ten from the Championship and one from League One.

Each team faces each other home and away in their respective divisions. The two regional division champions play in a National Final for the overall U18 Premier League title. The one-off tie is held at a main stadium.

Opposition...

Tottenham Hotspur have collected four points from their opening three games in the U18 Premier League South.

Despite going down to ten men in the first half, Spurs fought back from two goals down to rescue a point against Reading in their opening game, which they followed up with a 2-0 win over Norwich City. A Benjamin Casey hat-trick in their final fixture before the international break condemned them to their first defeat against Crystal Palace.

Five of their U18s squad members have been playing up for the U21s this season. These include no less than four England U18s internationals in Malachi Hardy, Tynan Thompson, Jun’ai Byfield and Luca Williams Barnett, who scored a brace the last time Spurs visited Little Heath Training Ground.

Last Time The Two Sides Met At Little Heath…

Our young Hammers have only lost one of their last six meetings against Spurs across the previous few cohorts of U18s.

The last time the two sides met at Little Heath Training Ground, our U18s’ current top goalscorer, Andre Dike, who has four goals in four games so far this season, scored a brace to send our young Hammers on their way to their first Premier League South win of the 2024/25 season. A feat Lauris Coggin’s young charges will be hoping to repeat this time around.

Head Coach Graham Potter has confirmed Igor Julio and Soungoutou Magassa are in contention to make their West Ham United debuts against Tottenham Hotspur, and has provided a fitness update on Niclas Füllkrug.

The Hammers welcome Spurs in the Premier League on Saturday for a 5.30pm kick-off at London Stadium, and will be looking to claim our first home win of the 2025/26 campaign following an emphatic 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest before the international break.

Füllkrug suffered a calf problem while away with Germany on international duty and missed his country's home win over Northern Ireland in FIFA World Cup qualifying. However, it appears to be only a minor injury and he could be in contention for the weekend.

“There are no absentees,” Potter confirmed, speaking in his pre-match press conference. "We've got Niclas Füllkrug, who's had a slight issue with his calf from international duty, so he came [home] early. He's trained lightly today, but we'll see how he reacts, but apart from that, everybody's okay.”

Potter also confirmed that deadline-day signing Igor, who joined on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, will be part of the matchday squad and could make his competitive debut for the Hammers on Saturday.

“He's trained really well, has fit into the group really well, and is a positive character, so we're happy,” added Potter.

“I think we've got good competition there (in defence) now, have good balance left and right, and Igor can cover at centre-back and full-back, so I'm happy with that position and happy that the window has finished and with where we are.”

Mateus Fernandes made an impressive start in midfield when he helped West Ham to open their Premier League account for the campaign on Trentside, and could make his home debut this weekend, while striker Callum Wilson, who deservedly got off the mark in Claret and Blue against Forest, could make his first start for the Hammers.

Elsewhere, the Head Coach expressed his delight at having exciting winger Crysencio Summerville at his disposal once again after he made his eagerly awaited return to the pitch from an almost eight-month injury with a stunning cameo off the bench at Forest, as well as the return of Łukasz Fabiański, who was welcomed back into the squad, having signed a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season, and will form part of the first-team goalkeeping setup.

“He (Wilson) has been great, as we expected, and is a fantastic professional,” added Potter. “He is a great person around the Club, around the training ground. We're still building him up, as he hasn't had a pre-season with the team, but his impact against Forest was fantastic, I thought.

“So we're delighted with Callum, delighted with where he's at, but at the same time understand where he's also been and what we need to do to carry on helping him make sure that he plays, has the impact, plays his minutes, and contributes to the team.

“I think he (Mateus Fernandes) gave us an extra dimension [at Forest], and having Cry (Summerville) available off the bench also gave us another extra dimension. It's the first time he (Summerville) has been available since our first game [in January at Aston Villa in the FA Cup], ironically, and it’s great to have him back, and he's worked really hard to get back.

“It's been a long road for him, and he's had a couple of setbacks, so credit to him that he's kept going and he's shown that mental strength.

"Now we just need to help him enjoy his football, because if he's doing that, then he's a big help for us.

“When you know Łukasz as well as we do and how he is and who he is, the type of goalkeeper he is, and the person he is, it was an obvious choice for us. He brings a lot of character, personality and standards, and he's an incredible professional, so we're really pleased.

"He's towards the end of his career, but there's still life there for sure. I think he can also add some of the dimension to his development, which I think is important.”

Preparations for West Ham United's return to Premier League action ramped up on Thursday as our internationals returned to Rush Green.

The Irons are set to take on Tottenham Hotspur in a mouthwatering tea-time derby at London Stadium on Saturday, with Graham Potter's men eager to build on a fine 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last time out.

With home debuts in prospect for the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Soungoutou Magassa and Igor Julio, as well as the return of Łukasz Fabiański to the Club this week, there were smiles aplenty as the work intensified on Thursday.

Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 13 September 2025, 5.30pm BST

West Ham United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to London Stadium on Saturday for a fixture that will be broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports, looking to build on the thrilling triumph over Nottingham Forest before the international break.

The Hammers produced a superb late flourish to beat the Tricky Trees 3-0 and register our first Premier League win of the season, and now we approach our second London derby of the season, hoping to boost our current 16th-place standing.

Spurs enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, having won their opening two games against newly-promoted Burnley and Manchester City without conceding, although a narrow loss before the international break at home to AFC Bournemouth denied them a third straight victory that would’ve seen them sit second in the Premier League table.

Boss Thomas Frank, who was the Premier League’s second-longest serving manager after almost seven years at Brentford, has earned plenty of plaudits for the job he has done so far in north London since his appointment, and he’s set to manage his first London derby in charge of the Lilywhites.

All signs point to an enticing match-up at London Stadium then, with both teams full of confidence and aiming to further their momentum after the September international break.

Tickets…

Tickets have sold out, but you can still be there as Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend relist their seats for other supporters to buy.

Click HERE to check availability, with prices starting at £50 Adults and £37.50 Concessions.

Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Saturday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.

Travel…

There are planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the District, Piccadilly, Waterloo & City and Windrush lines, though the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth line, are scheduled to run as normal. Supporters using these services are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.

There are minor disruptions expected across Greater Anglia and the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International.

Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford Station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.

Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.

There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.

How To Follow…

Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off has been selected for live broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports. If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.

You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have a match report, highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.

Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC 5 Live Sport, and worldwide on our official website and app.

We Are West Ham. United...

West Ham United has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Equality, equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the Club and we are committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome to attend our fixtures in a safe environment.

Any form of discriminatory behaviour or chanting, including anti-Semitic chanting, is unacceptable; it has no place in football and has serious criminal consequences. West Ham United will take the strongest possible action against any individual found to be engaging in such behaviour, including potential lifetime bans and referral to the police.

The Club can also face disciplinary action if any of its supporters are found to have engaged in this behaviour, which is not representative of the West Ham United fanbase and will not be tolerated by the Club.

West Ham United provides a number of support mechanisms on matchday to ensure that supporters can report any incidents discreetly and in confidence. To report any incidents during a match, you can speak with the nearest steward or Supporter Liaison Officer, or text our new reporting number on 07701 401966.

You can also contact West Ham United at [email protected]. Please provide as much information as possible, including the stand, row, seat number, description of the offender and incident.

We believe that the overwhelming majority of West Ham United supporters share these values and will work with us to continue to protect the Club’s status as an equity leader in the Premier League, a position recognised and acknowledged through our award and continuous retention of the Advanced level Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard - the League’s highest accolade attainable in this area. Anyone attending matches who does not share these values, does not share the diverse and inclusive values that West Ham United and our community stand for.

View our Supporter Conduct Charter for more information by clicking HERE.

Official Programme…

West Ham United’s 2025/26 Official Programme for Saturday's home Premier League derby against Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium is available to purchase online now!

Up to an incredible 132 pages for the whole of the fresh campaign, the publication remains the largest in English football, while once again each Premier League issue also comes with an eight-page pullout, complete with an eye-catching poster, a competitions page and plenty of games for our younger Hammers.

Still priced at just £4 (plus postage if purchasing online), the Official Programme represents superb value for money for supporters of all ages wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns and statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.

The Official Programme is the definitive Claret and Blue publication for West Ham fans.

Our third issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with summer signing Mateus Fernandes, who discusses his early football memories in Portugal, making his mark in the Premier League with Southampton, and his first few weeks as a Hammer.

We have Jarrod Bowen’s captain’s column and words from Head Coach Graham Potter, exciting new features with Tomáš Souček and James Ward-Prowse, a chat with rising comedy star and West Ham fan Jo Jarvie, and the second instalment of Steve Blowers’ new series marking 40 years since the success of 1985/86, in which he speaks to former Irons defender Steve Walford.

Also featuring exclusive columns galore, stats and in-depth analysis from Analytics United, the latest news from our Academy, women’s team and Foundation, plus a half-time quiz, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from north London, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

Team News…

Boss Graham Potter will hold his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. However, we know that Crysencio Summerville is back after recovering from his extended injury lay-off, having enjoyed a lively cameo appearance at the City Ground before the international break, while midfielder George Earthy is back in training after recovering from an ankle injury sustained early in pre-season, though he wasn't involved at Nottingham Forest.

Elsewhere, Brazilian attacker Luis Guilherme continues to work himself back to full fitness following a shoulder injury.

For Tottenham Hotspur, Yves Bissouma has yet to feature this season, sidelined by both injury and disciplinary issues, and he’s joined by Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Radu Drăgușin (ACL), James Maddison (ACL), Kōta Takai (foot) and Dominic Solanke (ankle) on the sidelines.

Opposition…

It has already been an historic year for Tottenham Hotspur.

The north Londoners ended their 17-year wait for major silverware by lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy in Bilbao in May, having edged out Manchester United 1-0 in a nerve-wracking final.

The victory, secured by Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal, came at the climax of an otherwise underwhelming 2024/25 season that saw Spurs finish a record-low 17th in the Premier League table.

Of course, having won the Europa League, most Tottenham supporters may say they do not particularly care how badly their team fared in domestic competition, but long-serving chairman Daniel Levy decided the manager who ended the club’s trophy drought had served his purpose and was surplus to requirements.

Australian Ange Postecoglou, who also led Spurs to the Carabao Cup semi-finals thanks to home wins over Manchester City and Manchester United, was dismissed in June, having delivered on his promise to deliver a trophy in his second season in charge. Then, at the start of September, Levy himself departed after 25 years at the helm.

Into the forthright Postecoglou’s seat in the dugout has moved a manager with seemingly a very different personality in Dane Thomas Frank, who built his reputation for shrewd and understated coaching brilliance during seven years at Brentford.

Having finished below local rivals Arsenal and outside the UEFA Champions League qualifying positions in each of the previous three seasons, Frank’s first task will be to make Spurs competitive in the Premier League again.

In eleven seasons between 2009/10 and 2019/20, Spurs never finished outside the top six, while Mauricio Pochettino led the club to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and José Mourinho to the 2020 Carabao Cup final, albeit the Portuguese was not permitted the chance to lead his team out at Wembley Stadium by Levy.

Former Hammer Harry Redknapp, André Villas-Boas, Tim Sherwood, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte have also had goes at leading Spurs to glory in the past 15 years or so, but none of them could deliver a major trophy to N17.

Postecoglou did so, but could not find a level of consistency to satisfy Levy, or a sizeable section of the Tottenham fanbase, who were happy to say ‘thank you and goodbye’ to ‘Big Ange’.

Frank has been given backing to buck the trend and tackle a 2025/26 season that sees Spurs return to the Champions League after a two-year absence.

Seven senior players have been signed, including Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig and loan captures João Palhinha from Bayern Munich and Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.

Now, it is down to the new manager to mould a team, quickly, to build on last season’s long-awaited success.

Previous Meetings…

West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have met 58 times in the Premier League, with Spurs winning 27 to the Hammers’ 18, while 13 matches have been drawn.

The Irons are unbeaten in the sides’ last five Premier League matches at London Stadium. Before 1-1 draws in May 2025, April 2024 and August 2022, Michail Antonio scored the winner in October 2021 and was also on the scoresheet alongside Jesse Lingard in a 2-1 triumph over José Mourinho’s team behind closed doors in February of that year.

Tottenham did beat West Ham three times on the trot at home in all competitions between December 2021 and February 2023, until Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse strikes powered David Moyes’ men to a 2-1 win in north London in early December 2023.

Spurs did triumph in the teams' most recent meeting, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, however, with Kulusevski, Bissouma and Son Heung-min strikes, and an Alphonse Areola own-goal, powering Tottenham to a 4-1 win in October 2024.

This particular match-up also has a reputation for a wonderstrike or two. Manuel Lanzini rescued a point with a 30-yard screamer as the Hammers overturned a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2020, while two years earlier Pedro Obiang stunned Wembley Stadium with an unstoppable long-range rocket in a game that finished 1-1.

Match Officials…

Referee: Jarred Gillett

Assistant Referees: Neil Davies and Steve Meredith

Fourth Official: Rob Jones

VAR: John Brooks

Assistant VAR: Natalie Aspinall

Jarred Gillett has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham United’s second successive home London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The 38-year-old has been a part of Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) Select Group 1 since the start of the 2021/22 season, after establishing himself in his native Australia and joining Select Group 2 in England in 2019.

He has 65 Premier League games under his belt, including six Hammers fixtures. One of those came last season, when Tomáš Souček and Jarrod Bowen goals powered Graham Potter’s men to a 2-0 victory away at Manchester United in May 2025.

So far this term Gillett has refereed in the English top flight on two occasions, during Manchester City’s 4-0 triumph at Wolves on the opening weekend and then Arsenal’s 5-0 home thrashing of Leeds a week later.

Besides his work in the Premier League, he took charge of the 2021/22 EFL League Two Play-Off final and the 2024 FA Community Shield, won by Port Vale and Manchester City respectively, while on the international stage he oversaw Greece’s 5-1 win over Belarus in FIFA World Cup qualifying earlier this month.

For more information about the officials, click HERE.

West Ham United’s 2025/26 Official Programme for Saturday's home Premier League derby against Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium is available to purchase online now!

Up to an incredible 132 pages for the whole of the fresh campaign, the publication remains the largest in English football, while once again each Premier League issue also comes with an eight-page pullout, complete with an eye-catching poster, a competitions page and plenty of games for our younger Hammers.

Still priced at just £4 (plus postage if purchasing online), the Official Programme represents superb value for money for supporters of all ages wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns and statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.

The Official Programme is the definitive Claret and Blue publication for West Ham fans.

Our third issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with summer signing Mateus Fernandes, who discusses his early football memories in Portugal, making his mark in the Premier League with Southampton, and his first few weeks as a Hammer.

We have Jarrod Bowen’s captain’s column and words from Head Coach Graham Potter, exciting new features with Tomáš Souček and James Ward-Prowse, a chat with rising comedy star and West Ham fan Jo Jarvie, and the second instalment of Steve Blowers’ new series marking 40 years since the success of 1985/86, in which he speaks to former Irons defender Steve Walford.

Also featuring exclusive columns galore, stats and in-depth analysis from Analytics United, the latest news from our Academy, women’s team and Foundation, plus a half-time quiz, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from north London, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!

Whether you are planning to be at the match, watch at home or are simply a loyal West Ham fan or collector, the easiest way to get your copy each week is to subscribe. Indeed, signing up for a seasonal subscription is the only way to guarantee every issue is delivered straight to your door.

Prices for seasonal subscriptions start at just £122 for UK delivery, and issues can be shipped worldwide regardless of where you follow the Claret and Blue Army from. The deal includes all home Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup matches.

Graham Potter has urged his players to build on their impressive Premier League triumph at Nottingham Forest last time out when they host Tottenham Hotspur in an enticing London derby this Saturday tea-time.

The Hammers emphatically bounced back from a tricky start to 2025/26 by firing three goals past a helpless Forest side in the final six minutes at the City Ground, with Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paquetá and Callum Wilson strikes sparking wild celebrations in the away end.

Such a performance and result marked the perfect way to sign off for the first international break of the campaign, with ten members of the first-team squad leaving to join up with their countries brimming with positivity.

There has been a balanced sense of excitement and determination at Rush Green over the last fortnight, with Potter and the members of the squad who remained in the English capital eager to really kick on as the season gets into full swing, and start to climb up the Premier League table.

Next up, the Irons welcome Thomas Frank’s Spurs to London Stadium for their second home derby in a row, and both sides will be desperate to end a run of three successive 1-1 draws in this fixture by claiming the full share of the spoils.

Having gone in a new direction under former Brentford boss Frank, following their UEFA Europa League title-winning exploits under Ange Postecoglou last term, Tottenham raced out of the blocks in August, notching five unanswered goals to see off Burnley and Manchester City, before they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by AFC Bournemouth late last month.

As both teams gear up for what promises to be a thrilling encounter, West Ham Head Coach Potter sat down with the gathered press for his pre-match press conference on Thursday, during which he was asked about recent transfer business, individual members of his squad and Saturday’s opponents.

Below are the main talking points…

Transfer business

As you can imagine, you have to be on your toes during the transfer window. An opportunity came up for Nayef [Aguerd] to leave, which was good for both him and us.

That then opened up an opportunity for Igor [Julio] to come in. He’s trained really well and fitted well into the group so far. He’s a really positive character, and I think he adds good balance and competition to the back line, because he can cover centre-back and full-back.

Łukasz [Fabiański] has come in, and again it was after an opportunity came up for Wes [Foderingham], which he felt was the right thing for him. That meant we were looking for someone to support the goalkeepers, like we’ve had, and Łukasz was the perfect candidate.

When you know Łukasz as well as we do, and who he is - as a footballer and as a person - it was an obvious choice for us. He certainly brings a lot of character, personality and high standards to the group, and I think that applies both on and off the pitch. He’s not at the start of his career, but there’s still life there yet, and I think his role here now can add another dimension to his development.

Back after the break

About half of the team went away, so we were left with a decent number. We’ve trained well and used the time well, and then it’s been nice to see the other players again as they’ve come back in.

As always, we kept up with the action we could, and watched the highlights and different things. Niclas [Füllkrug] is the only one who has picked up a slight issue, so things are good in that respect.

So far we’ve prepared as well as we can for the weekend, as some of the players continue to recover from their games and travel, but by Saturday, we’ll be ready for sure.

Looking to build on Forest feel-good factor

There were lots of things that contributed to the result at Forest. Mateus Fernandes came into the team just after we’d signed him, and he gave us an extra dimension, as did Crysencio Summerville, who did really well after coming off the bench.

Playing against a team in a different moment can also help, but there was a determination from the players that was born from the frustration, disappointment and anger after the first two games.

We knew we needed to do something about that, and that’s why after the match I said I was delighted for them. We had had to suffer, which isn’t pleasant, but the players did it together, and they did it well.

After a victory like that, you almost want to play again rather than go into an international break, but we’ve just had to use the time as well as possible and we’re all excited to get out there again.

Wilson and Summerville looking to go again

Callum’s [Wilson] been great, as we expected. He’s a fantastic professional, and a brilliant person to have around at the training ground.

We’re still building him up, because he arrived late and missed most of pre-season, but I thought the impact he made at Forest was fantastic. We’re delighted with him, but at the same time we understand what we’ve got to do to carry on helping him.

In terms of whether he’s ready to start, it’s important we do the right thing for him and the team. I think he’s the type of professional that can make a big impact, regardless of whether he starts or finishes.

The Forest game was the first time that we had Cry [Summerville] available since our first game in charge, ironically, so it was great to have him back. He gives us another dimension, and it’s good because he’s worked so hard to get back.

It’s been a long road for him, with a couple of setbacks, so credit to him for keeping going and showing great mental strength. We just need to help him enjoy his football, because if he does that, he’s going to be a big help for us.

Captain fantastic

I think Jarrod’s [Bowen] record (nine goal contributions in his last nine Premier League appearances) speaks for itself. He’s a goal threat.

His finish at Forest was at a very, very high level, with the way he took it early and showed incredible movement. He is a killer around the box.

He’s a great captain for us. He’s a great leader, and he speaks really well in small groups as well as to the wider team. He’s been a joy to work with, and I think everyone knows how important he is for us.

With those goals and those assists, there’s not too much else to say. It’s a great record.

Ready for Tottenham test

I think the motivation is clear for us. We know how important this game is for the Club and the fans, so we’re going to go out there and do the best we can to win.

There isn’t a big sample to look at from the season so far. We’ve played three Premier League games, and in this league you know that every match is going to be a challenge.

I’ve played against Thomas’ [Frank] teams a lot over the years, and there’ll be some things there like there was previously. He’s a very well-respected coach, and it’s going to be a tough game, but it’s one we’re looking forward to.

We want to carry on the feeling of positivity we had after Forest, do our best, and try to come away with all three points.

As West Ham United captain, a Hammer of nearly six years, husband to a West Ham-supporting wife and son-in-law to an Irons-mad father-in-law, Jarrod Bowen knows just how important our Premier League derby with Tottenham Hotspur is to every member of the Claret and Blue Army.

Whether it be for Bowen himself, wife Dani, father-in-law Danny Dyer or the millions of supporters around the world, every West Ham supporter wants to get the better of their local rivals at London Stadium this weekend.

A limited number of tickets remain available for the Saturday’s game HERE, and you can be there alongside Bowen and his family as the Hammers seek bragging rights and back-to-back Premier League wins following the outstanding 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest last time out.

Bowen was unstoppable at the City Ground, scoring a superb goal to continue his outstanding recent form - seven goals and four assists in his previous 12 appearances - and setting him up perfectly for England duty.

While the 28-year-old’s immediate priority is helping the Three Lions to a vital 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory in Serbia on Tuesday evening, he will then return to the Club he loves and lead the Hammers into their derby showdown with their London adversaries.

“I think for us now it's important that we got the win going into the international break,” he confirmed. “The manager has got a bit of time now before the next game, a big rival game as well. We've got Tottenham at 5.30 on a Saturday, so it's a great game for us, a great opportunity and we're feeling a better place now than what we did [before Nottingham Forest].

“It was massively important for us [to win at Forest so convincingly]. First two games, losing the way that we did at the position that was in, bottom of the league, conceded eight goals in two games. But to go to Nottingham Forest, win 3-0, and on another day could have scored even more, was a victory that before any international break it's a nice one to get.

“When you lose the first two and you have one more before internationals, you don't want to lose that third game to go to Nottingham Forest and win the way that we did gave everyone a real shot of confidence going into the break.”

Full of confidence personally and with confidence rising at West Ham collectively, Bowen is currently on international duty with England, having been recalled to the squad by Thomas Tuchel after the manager opted to look at other options in June.

After being rested for Friday’s win over Andorra at Villa Park, the versatile, in-form forward could be called upon for Tuesday’s showdown with Serbia in Belgrade. As he is ahead of Saturday’s derby at London Stadium, Bowen is relishing his opportunity to show the country what he can do in a Three Lions shirt.

“Attacking is probably the best options England’s had for a few years now,” he observed. “I've been in and out of squads for a couple of years, and always had that competition for places, and I think it's really good. I think it really brings the best out of you.

“I think for me it's a really big year. I've got a really big year at club level, and then also international level as well. You know there's a World Cup around the corner. So, I think for me, being back in the squad is just trying to show what I do at West Ham, week in, week out. I think that's all that I can do.

“I think even when I was out of the squad last time I felt like I was in a good place at club level and sometimes you don't get selected in the squad, and that's what you have to face. I was disappointed, but ultimately I couldn't change what happened.

“All I could do was have a good pre-season, try and come back in a really good place, and then work to be back into the first squad, which I've managed to do. Now, it's for me to take my opportunities if they come about here, and once this is done go back to my Club and keep doing the same things and almost kind of repeat that process and just trust in my own abilities.”

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